1 00:00:02,135 --> 00:00:02,869 On Mother's Day. 2 00:00:02,869 --> 00:00:04,237 I obviously think of my mom. 3 00:00:04,237 --> 00:00:06,773 Happy Mother's Day, mama. 4 00:00:06,773 --> 00:00:10,143 Mom did a lot of things really well. 5 00:00:10,176 --> 00:00:15,281 Two things that stick out to me as I'm thinking about her right now. 6 00:00:15,548 --> 00:00:18,551 One of those is my mom was probably 7 00:00:18,551 --> 00:00:21,755 the first person, and certainly the most consistent person 8 00:00:22,389 --> 00:00:26,059 who spoke to me about who 9 00:00:26,059 --> 00:00:30,397 she saw me to be in relation to people in Scripture. 10 00:00:30,430 --> 00:00:34,534 She was always telling me, this is what I see in you, and this is who. 11 00:00:34,534 --> 00:00:36,870 I also see that in Scripture. 12 00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:42,108 And that was profound for me because it gave me it gave me a high calling. 13 00:00:42,142 --> 00:00:45,345 It gave me a standard far beyond myself. 14 00:00:45,345 --> 00:00:47,147 When I was growing up, I wanted to be two things. 15 00:00:47,147 --> 00:00:50,583 I wanted to be Evil Knievel, and I wanted to be a football player. 16 00:00:50,583 --> 00:00:54,054 And my mom's vision of me was much higher than those. 17 00:00:54,054 --> 00:00:58,992 And she she grounded those in Scripture and people and men of Scripture, 18 00:00:59,359 --> 00:01:03,930 men of the kingdom, which called me to something beyond my own, 19 00:01:04,697 --> 00:01:07,033 you know, my own, my own desires, which was profound. 20 00:01:07,033 --> 00:01:12,472 The other thing my mom did is she stayed faithful to my mom or to my dad. 21 00:01:12,872 --> 00:01:16,509 My mom, my mom was was faithful, married to my dad 22 00:01:16,509 --> 00:01:19,579 through through good times and very, very, very difficult times. 23 00:01:19,579 --> 00:01:25,351 But she stayed and my dad stayed and they just they worked it out 24 00:01:25,351 --> 00:01:30,957 and whatever it was, they just found a way to rely on God and rely on his word. 25 00:01:31,024 --> 00:01:34,294 Staying in the Bible and in church, in community. 26 00:01:34,294 --> 00:01:36,963 And they just they just worked it out. 27 00:01:36,963 --> 00:01:39,232 I was talking to Pat and Maria Knoblock this morning 28 00:01:39,232 --> 00:01:42,402 and they said, hey, this is our 40th wedding anniversary today. 29 00:01:42,435 --> 00:01:44,370 I'm way to go. 30 00:01:44,370 --> 00:01:48,708 And Maria said, just by the grace of God and Joanne Dawson and were both like, 31 00:01:48,741 --> 00:01:50,477 yeah, I mean, that's all of us, right? 32 00:01:50,477 --> 00:01:54,013 By the I mean, mirrors doesn't work apart from the grace of God, because there's 33 00:01:54,013 --> 00:01:57,016 a lot of forgiveness that has to be given to. 34 00:01:57,450 --> 00:01:57,984 Yeah. 35 00:01:57,984 --> 00:02:02,522 And so as I think about my mom, I honor her especially for those two things. 36 00:02:02,522 --> 00:02:05,825 She grounded me in Scripture and gave me a high calling. 37 00:02:05,825 --> 00:02:09,496 And she, she she gave us 38 00:02:09,496 --> 00:02:14,134 an example of what it means even when you don't want to. 39 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:15,335 I'm not saying she didn't want to. 40 00:02:15,335 --> 00:02:17,237 I don't want to add that to her story. But. 41 00:02:17,237 --> 00:02:20,240 But even you just stay. You just stay. 42 00:02:20,707 --> 00:02:23,376 And by God's grace, you work it out with each other. 43 00:02:23,376 --> 00:02:25,278 It was just so. So thank you, mama. 44 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:29,716 We're going to wrap up Matthew 13 this morning. 45 00:02:29,716 --> 00:02:33,586 And when I started Matthew 13, I didn't think it was going to take us 46 00:02:33,586 --> 00:02:37,423 four weeks to get through it, but there's just so much in it. 47 00:02:37,857 --> 00:02:41,361 And just as by way of recap, seven parables 48 00:02:41,361 --> 00:02:45,298 in Matthew 13, we've looked at one, two, three, four so far. 49 00:02:45,298 --> 00:02:48,234 We're going to look at five, six, seven today. 50 00:02:48,234 --> 00:02:52,505 And with these parables, Jesus teaches us 51 00:02:52,505 --> 00:02:56,676 about the kingdom of heaven, and he gives us a warning in him as well. 52 00:02:56,676 --> 00:02:58,077 And so we're going to look at both those. 53 00:02:58,077 --> 00:03:01,080 But in order to understand 54 00:03:01,114 --> 00:03:05,351 better what Jesus wanted us to get from these parables, 55 00:03:05,351 --> 00:03:08,788 we have to have to readjust our minds and shift 56 00:03:08,788 --> 00:03:12,292 out of the only thing we know, our American mindset, 57 00:03:12,358 --> 00:03:17,597 and try to get back into a first century Jewish mindset. 58 00:03:17,897 --> 00:03:22,001 In these parables, there's only the first two 59 00:03:22,001 --> 00:03:25,071 of the of the seven that Jesus gives interpretation. 60 00:03:25,104 --> 00:03:26,306 It's just the first two. 61 00:03:26,306 --> 00:03:28,508 He said, here's the parable and here's what it means. 62 00:03:28,508 --> 00:03:31,377 The next one's parables three, four, five, six, seven. 63 00:03:31,377 --> 00:03:32,579 He gives no interpretation, 64 00:03:32,579 --> 00:03:37,383 and so he leaves it up to his hearers to understand what he means. 65 00:03:37,617 --> 00:03:41,454 Our problem is we're not first century Jews, and so 66 00:03:41,521 --> 00:03:44,557 and so his his intent. 67 00:03:44,591 --> 00:03:48,161 We're very far removed from that, because we read this 68 00:03:48,161 --> 00:03:53,032 as if it is written to to Americans, 69 00:03:53,032 --> 00:03:56,603 and we take all of our American baggage and put it into this. 70 00:03:56,603 --> 00:04:00,840 And because of that, we don't understand the culture of the context of it. 71 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:06,079 And so what I want to do is I want I'm going to tell you what the current 72 00:04:07,714 --> 00:04:10,717 interpretation of these parables are, 73 00:04:10,850 --> 00:04:13,853 and then I'm going to tell you the right one. 74 00:04:14,921 --> 00:04:18,191 And but because Jesus didn't didn't 75 00:04:18,191 --> 00:04:21,294 say, this is what I'm talking about, we all get to decide. 76 00:04:21,361 --> 00:04:23,863 And he leaves it open ended like that. 77 00:04:23,863 --> 00:04:27,834 And so my hope is that you'll wrestle with these as we go through these, 78 00:04:27,834 --> 00:04:31,304 and then you'll realize that I'm right as we talk about them. 79 00:04:31,537 --> 00:04:33,239 But so here's the big idea. 80 00:04:33,239 --> 00:04:36,943 Here's the big for for these parables, here's a big idea. 81 00:04:36,976 --> 00:04:42,015 The kingdom, the kingdom of God, the rule and reign of God is not cheap. 82 00:04:42,415 --> 00:04:45,418 It's not random and it's not small. 83 00:04:45,985 --> 00:04:48,354 And Jesus paid all, 84 00:04:48,354 --> 00:04:51,224 and Jesus deserves all honor. 85 00:04:51,224 --> 00:04:53,626 That's how we're going to wrap this, this up. 86 00:04:53,626 --> 00:04:58,431 And so let me let me read for you this first parable is only one verse long. 87 00:04:58,531 --> 00:05:02,535 And this is what it says in in Matthew 13 88 00:05:02,802 --> 00:05:07,173 verse 44, the kingdom of heaven is like 89 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:11,477 treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. 90 00:05:11,511 --> 00:05:17,116 Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 91 00:05:17,116 --> 00:05:19,252 So here's the important terms. 92 00:05:19,252 --> 00:05:23,323 We have to understand and translate and interpret 93 00:05:23,723 --> 00:05:27,960 the treasure, the field and the man. 94 00:05:29,028 --> 00:05:30,496 Option one. 95 00:05:30,496 --> 00:05:34,834 The most common interpretation of this parable is this 96 00:05:35,535 --> 00:05:38,538 that the treasure is the kingdom of heaven, 97 00:05:38,671 --> 00:05:41,341 and man is humanity, 98 00:05:41,341 --> 00:05:45,778 and the kingdom of heaven is so valuable that when you see it 99 00:05:45,778 --> 00:05:49,582 and when you experience it, when you find it, you sell everything 100 00:05:49,582 --> 00:05:52,585 and you sell out and you go after it. 101 00:05:54,654 --> 00:05:57,256 Here's my problem with that. 102 00:05:57,256 --> 00:06:00,259 The kingdom of heaven is not something that we can buy. 103 00:06:01,661 --> 00:06:03,796 The kingdom of heaven is not attained 104 00:06:03,796 --> 00:06:07,233 by what we have purchased. 105 00:06:08,601 --> 00:06:11,504 It's not for sale. 106 00:06:11,504 --> 00:06:13,439 The the truth is that 107 00:06:13,439 --> 00:06:16,442 that we have nothing to offer to God. 108 00:06:16,976 --> 00:06:20,079 We have nothing of value to offer to God 109 00:06:20,713 --> 00:06:24,317 that he would say, okay, now you've earned it, now I'll sell it to you. 110 00:06:24,817 --> 00:06:27,353 That's not how this works, though. 111 00:06:27,353 --> 00:06:31,391 That is the prevalent interpretation of this passage of this parable. 112 00:06:31,491 --> 00:06:33,860 Let me tell you the second option. 113 00:06:33,860 --> 00:06:36,295 The field is the world. 114 00:06:36,295 --> 00:06:37,897 The man is Jesus. 115 00:06:40,333 --> 00:06:41,901 And the kingdom 116 00:06:41,901 --> 00:06:44,904 of or the treasure are the Jews. 117 00:06:45,138 --> 00:06:48,141 Let me tell you why I believe that to be the accurate 118 00:06:48,508 --> 00:06:50,910 interpretation 119 00:06:50,910 --> 00:06:51,711 in Jewish law. 120 00:06:51,711 --> 00:06:55,615 Remember, we got to go back and think like first century Jew in Jewish law. 121 00:06:56,382 --> 00:06:59,619 Whoever owned the field owned the treasure, 122 00:07:00,987 --> 00:07:03,156 and you couldn't get the treasure if it was in the field, 123 00:07:03,156 --> 00:07:05,358 out owning the field. 124 00:07:05,358 --> 00:07:08,227 And the Jews understood this about themselves, 125 00:07:08,227 --> 00:07:11,531 that they were the treasure of God. 126 00:07:11,597 --> 00:07:13,065 They knew that. Why? 127 00:07:13,065 --> 00:07:14,834 Because that's what they have. 128 00:07:14,834 --> 00:07:17,303 That's what Scripture says from the Old Testament. 129 00:07:17,303 --> 00:07:22,975 On Exodus 19, God says, now therefore, if you will indeed obey 130 00:07:22,975 --> 00:07:26,512 my word, my voice, and keep my covenant, you shall be my 131 00:07:26,512 --> 00:07:29,515 what? 132 00:07:29,782 --> 00:07:30,316 You'll be my 133 00:07:30,316 --> 00:07:33,853 treasure, my treasure, possession among all the peoples. 134 00:07:33,853 --> 00:07:35,988 For all the earth is mine, 135 00:07:35,988 --> 00:07:39,625 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 136 00:07:39,659 --> 00:07:42,628 These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel. 137 00:07:42,628 --> 00:07:45,898 So from the beginning God said, listen, you need to tell 138 00:07:45,898 --> 00:07:50,203 all of my people that you, as my people, are my treasure. 139 00:07:52,839 --> 00:07:53,639 For you are a 140 00:07:53,639 --> 00:07:57,310 people holy to the Lord your God, the people your God has chosen. 141 00:07:57,410 --> 00:08:00,746 The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his. 142 00:08:00,746 --> 00:08:02,615 What? 143 00:08:02,615 --> 00:08:04,517 They're the treasure, his treasure. 144 00:08:04,517 --> 00:08:05,651 Possession. 145 00:08:05,651 --> 00:08:09,021 Out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth, 146 00:08:09,021 --> 00:08:12,658 it was not because you were in number, more in number 147 00:08:12,658 --> 00:08:15,661 than any of the other people, that the Lord set his love on 148 00:08:15,695 --> 00:08:19,866 you or tells you, for you were the fewest of all the peoples. 149 00:08:20,199 --> 00:08:22,935 But it was because the Lord loves you and 150 00:08:22,935 --> 00:08:26,272 is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers 151 00:08:26,339 --> 00:08:30,376 that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you 152 00:08:30,376 --> 00:08:34,814 from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. 153 00:08:34,981 --> 00:08:36,148 You're my treasure. 154 00:08:36,148 --> 00:08:39,619 But it's not because of who you are, because I chose you. 155 00:08:39,719 --> 00:08:41,387 Do you see that? 156 00:08:41,387 --> 00:08:44,557 I have to understand the Jewish mindset as Jesus would speak this to the these 157 00:08:44,590 --> 00:08:45,992 these people who are listening. 158 00:08:45,992 --> 00:08:49,562 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. 159 00:08:49,562 --> 00:08:53,232 And the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his. 160 00:08:53,232 --> 00:08:55,501 What treasure are you? 161 00:08:55,501 --> 00:08:57,503 Are you seeing this in the Bible? 162 00:08:57,503 --> 00:09:00,506 Treasured possession out of all the people 163 00:09:00,773 --> 00:09:03,175 who are on the face of the earth? 164 00:09:03,175 --> 00:09:04,710 This is God's choice. 165 00:09:06,412 --> 00:09:07,313 And the Lord 166 00:09:07,313 --> 00:09:10,383 has declared today that you are a people for his. 167 00:09:10,383 --> 00:09:14,387 What treasured possession, as he has promised you, 168 00:09:14,387 --> 00:09:15,555 and that you are to 169 00:09:15,555 --> 00:09:20,159 keep all his commandments, and that he will set you in praise 170 00:09:20,159 --> 00:09:25,131 and in fame and in honor, high above all nations that he has made, 171 00:09:25,131 --> 00:09:29,101 and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as 172 00:09:29,101 --> 00:09:32,104 he had promised the Jews when they heard this parable. 173 00:09:32,138 --> 00:09:35,141 They're like, we get it, we're the treasure. 174 00:09:36,576 --> 00:09:38,411 And God found us in the midst 175 00:09:38,411 --> 00:09:42,081 of this huge field, but he chose us. 176 00:09:42,315 --> 00:09:43,816 This would resonate with him. 177 00:09:43,816 --> 00:09:46,919 And this parable says, when this man found 178 00:09:46,919 --> 00:09:50,389 this treasure in the field, he went and sold all he had. 179 00:09:50,389 --> 00:09:53,793 In his joy. He went and sold all he had. 180 00:09:53,826 --> 00:09:56,395 We know from Scripture this is exactly what happened. 181 00:09:56,395 --> 00:10:00,066 Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the what? 182 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:02,001 What's the Bible say? 183 00:10:02,001 --> 00:10:04,136 Read it with your mouths open. Who for the what? 184 00:10:04,136 --> 00:10:07,073 For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 185 00:10:07,073 --> 00:10:10,142 despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 186 00:10:10,142 --> 00:10:13,813 He saw some treasure, and out of joy he went. 187 00:10:13,879 --> 00:10:15,915 He sold it all. That's what the Bible says. 188 00:10:15,915 --> 00:10:19,719 Have this mind amongst yourself, which is also which is yours 189 00:10:19,752 --> 00:10:23,923 in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, he was 190 00:10:23,923 --> 00:10:29,095 God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 191 00:10:29,095 --> 00:10:32,098 but emptied himself, sold it all 192 00:10:32,898 --> 00:10:36,736 by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of man, 193 00:10:36,736 --> 00:10:39,839 and being found in human form, he humbled himself 194 00:10:39,839 --> 00:10:43,309 by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. 195 00:10:43,309 --> 00:10:47,380 He sees this field full of humanity and sees this treasure 196 00:10:47,380 --> 00:10:51,717 and thinks that I want that, and I will go by that field 197 00:10:51,717 --> 00:10:56,555 so I can possess that treasure, and I'm going to buy it with my own blood. 198 00:10:57,823 --> 00:11:00,826 Do you see this? 199 00:11:00,893 --> 00:11:02,862 The kingdom of heaven, 200 00:11:02,862 --> 00:11:06,298 the rule and reign of God in this world starts 201 00:11:06,298 --> 00:11:09,602 with the Jews because God chose them. 202 00:11:10,403 --> 00:11:11,037 Do you understand? 203 00:11:11,037 --> 00:11:14,040 Church? 204 00:11:14,173 --> 00:11:15,675 There's a parable. 205 00:11:15,675 --> 00:11:18,944 There's a parallel of this parable in the Old Testament. 206 00:11:18,944 --> 00:11:23,716 And any of you, if you're a Bible student, your brain should be firing right now. 207 00:11:24,450 --> 00:11:27,653 Back in the Old Testament, this thing was lived out 208 00:11:27,653 --> 00:11:31,057 in a living color in the real world, 209 00:11:32,658 --> 00:11:34,960 but nowhere 210 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:37,930 the book of Ruth. 211 00:11:38,397 --> 00:11:39,432 Understand the Bible. 212 00:11:39,432 --> 00:11:40,132 I'm going to I'm going 213 00:11:40,132 --> 00:11:43,436 to I'm going to give you the Book of Ruth, chapter four, in just a few verses. 214 00:11:44,103 --> 00:11:46,272 Okay. 215 00:11:46,272 --> 00:11:49,275 Then he said, This is Boaz. 216 00:11:50,309 --> 00:11:52,511 Boaz is the hero of the story. 217 00:11:52,511 --> 00:11:55,381 He's the redeemer of this family. 218 00:11:55,381 --> 00:11:59,151 So to Naomi, Naomi's the one who's lost her husband 219 00:11:59,185 --> 00:12:02,788 al-Malik and has some possessions that she owns. 220 00:12:04,023 --> 00:12:05,858 He says 221 00:12:05,858 --> 00:12:09,295 Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, 222 00:12:09,295 --> 00:12:14,266 is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 223 00:12:14,300 --> 00:12:16,135 This was her husband who died. 224 00:12:16,135 --> 00:12:19,438 He says to the person who's in line to buy it, to buy 225 00:12:19,739 --> 00:12:23,542 the possession of this field, if you will redeem it, redeem it 226 00:12:24,610 --> 00:12:28,114 the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, 227 00:12:28,147 --> 00:12:31,150 you also acquire 228 00:12:31,250 --> 00:12:33,519 Ruth, 229 00:12:33,519 --> 00:12:36,155 this woman, to be your bride. 230 00:12:36,155 --> 00:12:38,157 I cannot redeem it for myself. 231 00:12:38,157 --> 00:12:39,358 Then the guy says. 232 00:12:39,358 --> 00:12:43,229 And so Boaz said to the elders and all the people, you are witnesses 233 00:12:43,229 --> 00:12:45,831 this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi 234 00:12:45,831 --> 00:12:48,434 all that belonged to Elimelech, her dead husband. 235 00:12:48,434 --> 00:12:49,201 Also. 236 00:12:49,201 --> 00:12:54,173 What Ruth the Moabite to be my wife, he says, 237 00:12:55,307 --> 00:12:57,977 Naomi, this field belongs to her. 238 00:12:57,977 --> 00:13:02,314 And I want what's in that field. 239 00:13:02,348 --> 00:13:06,352 Because Ruth was attached to the field. 240 00:13:07,052 --> 00:13:12,458 And Boaz couldn't get the bride without buying the field. 241 00:13:12,591 --> 00:13:17,396 And once he bought the field, he possessed the treasure attached to it. 242 00:13:17,429 --> 00:13:18,798 Do you understand? 243 00:13:18,798 --> 00:13:22,535 So this parable was fleshed out in the nation's 244 00:13:22,535 --> 00:13:25,638 history, in the story of Ruth and Boaz. 245 00:13:26,238 --> 00:13:29,241 And so when Jesus would say this and be like, oh, we get it. 246 00:13:29,241 --> 00:13:30,676 Absolutely. 247 00:13:30,676 --> 00:13:32,912 The kingdom of heaven does start with us. 248 00:13:32,912 --> 00:13:35,314 You buy the field, you get the treasure. 249 00:13:35,314 --> 00:13:39,385 But after the Boaz did it way back in the day, God, Ruth, 250 00:13:39,385 --> 00:13:43,322 where the treasure God bought us there, grooving with this. 251 00:13:43,322 --> 00:13:45,357 Right. 252 00:13:45,357 --> 00:13:48,794 And then Jesus tells this parable. 253 00:13:50,996 --> 00:13:51,397 Again. 254 00:13:51,397 --> 00:13:54,934 The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, 255 00:13:54,934 --> 00:13:59,572 on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. 256 00:13:59,572 --> 00:14:04,710 Now here's the modern interpretation, the prevalent one the most. 257 00:14:04,710 --> 00:14:09,114 People think the important terms the merchant and the pearl. 258 00:14:11,116 --> 00:14:13,719 The vast majority of people interpret 259 00:14:13,719 --> 00:14:19,024 it this way that the merchant is a man and the pearl is the kingdom of heaven. 260 00:14:19,225 --> 00:14:21,460 And again, you find this great pearl. 261 00:14:21,460 --> 00:14:22,661 The kingdom of heaven is so valuable. 262 00:14:22,661 --> 00:14:25,664 You sell all you camps, you can go get that pearl. 263 00:14:25,731 --> 00:14:28,634 Same problem as the previous parable. 264 00:14:28,634 --> 00:14:31,136 They can have is not for sale. 265 00:14:31,136 --> 00:14:32,671 You can't buy it. 266 00:14:32,671 --> 00:14:35,908 No matter what you give, you don't earn it. 267 00:14:36,876 --> 00:14:40,746 And so option number two is this the merchant is Jesus. 268 00:14:41,614 --> 00:14:45,451 And if in the first parable, the treasure were the Jews, 269 00:14:45,551 --> 00:14:50,122 in this parable the pearl is us non-Jews. 270 00:14:51,390 --> 00:14:53,259 Here's why. 271 00:14:53,259 --> 00:14:56,061 Because to the Jew, 272 00:14:56,061 --> 00:14:59,064 a pearl was not a treasure. 273 00:15:00,299 --> 00:15:04,069 They would not consider pearls to be of any value. 274 00:15:05,104 --> 00:15:05,905 Do you know why? 275 00:15:09,074 --> 00:15:10,175 Okay, let me tell you. 276 00:15:10,175 --> 00:15:13,178 Because what a pearl come from 277 00:15:13,879 --> 00:15:17,583 and were unclean to the Jews. 278 00:15:17,950 --> 00:15:20,452 They couldn't be touch them 279 00:15:20,452 --> 00:15:21,520 there. So? 280 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:27,226 So the Easter, the thing that makes the pearl was unclean to the Jews. 281 00:15:27,226 --> 00:15:30,796 And there's no way a Jew 282 00:15:30,996 --> 00:15:35,401 being in right Jewish obedience 283 00:15:35,534 --> 00:15:40,439 would associate himself with that which is unclean and oyster or a pearl. 284 00:15:40,973 --> 00:15:43,442 Do you understand? 285 00:15:43,442 --> 00:15:47,079 So? So Jesus right now is like before they they got it. 286 00:15:47,079 --> 00:15:48,814 They're like, yeah, we're the treasure. We understand that. 287 00:15:48,814 --> 00:15:51,917 And now they're like, wait, wait wait wait wait, what 288 00:15:53,852 --> 00:15:55,955 the the kingdom of heaven 289 00:15:55,955 --> 00:15:58,958 isn't just about us. 290 00:15:59,091 --> 00:16:02,094 You can't include them 291 00:16:02,261 --> 00:16:05,431 because that which is unclean is Gentile. 292 00:16:05,464 --> 00:16:07,499 You can include non-Jews in this. 293 00:16:07,499 --> 00:16:09,468 This is about us. 294 00:16:09,468 --> 00:16:14,974 How can you include that which is unclean in the kingdom of heaven? 295 00:16:15,574 --> 00:16:18,277 It'll defile it. 296 00:16:18,277 --> 00:16:19,979 Do you see what Jesus is saying? 297 00:16:26,018 --> 00:16:28,420 This was shocking. 298 00:16:28,420 --> 00:16:30,255 This was this was transformed. 299 00:16:30,255 --> 00:16:31,390 This was revolutionary. 300 00:16:31,390 --> 00:16:34,393 This is something they had never heard of before. 301 00:16:35,828 --> 00:16:38,831 They were the treasure, not Gentiles, 302 00:16:39,264 --> 00:16:42,267 not us. 303 00:16:44,770 --> 00:16:47,172 The pearls. 304 00:16:47,172 --> 00:16:50,175 We're the unclean ones. 305 00:16:50,275 --> 00:16:53,278 We're the dirty ones. 306 00:16:53,312 --> 00:16:56,415 And Jesus is saying, listen, you're right. 307 00:16:57,416 --> 00:16:58,784 You're unclean and dirty. 308 00:16:58,784 --> 00:17:03,655 You got nothing to offer me, but I have chosen you. 309 00:17:04,223 --> 00:17:07,226 And that which everybody has claimed is unclean 310 00:17:07,226 --> 00:17:12,631 and unworthy, I have redeemed, I have made worthy 311 00:17:12,664 --> 00:17:15,734 not because of who you are, but because of what 312 00:17:15,734 --> 00:17:18,737 I've paid for you. 313 00:17:22,341 --> 00:17:25,010 See what what Jesus was doing was 314 00:17:25,010 --> 00:17:30,082 he was making known this mystery that God has set in place 315 00:17:30,082 --> 00:17:35,020 since the beginning of the world, and nobody knew it until right now. 316 00:17:36,388 --> 00:17:41,360 We know for this from the book of Ephesians to bring to light for everyone. 317 00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:42,694 What is the plan? 318 00:17:42,694 --> 00:17:46,899 The plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, 319 00:17:46,932 --> 00:17:51,437 who created all things, so that through the church 320 00:17:51,437 --> 00:17:56,275 the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to whom? 321 00:17:59,711 --> 00:18:03,015 To the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 322 00:18:03,015 --> 00:18:05,150 Here's what he's doing. 323 00:18:05,150 --> 00:18:08,921 He's saying through the church, the mystery of God 324 00:18:09,321 --> 00:18:14,193 that has been hidden from the very beginning is now being made known 325 00:18:14,893 --> 00:18:19,264 not just to our neighbors, not just to the people that we live with, 326 00:18:19,264 --> 00:18:21,467 but is being made known right now. 327 00:18:21,467 --> 00:18:24,470 To whom? 328 00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:28,073 Angels and demons. 329 00:18:29,475 --> 00:18:30,509 Through the church. 330 00:18:30,509 --> 00:18:34,813 The mystery of God is being revealed 331 00:18:35,547 --> 00:18:37,883 to the heavenlies. 332 00:18:37,883 --> 00:18:40,452 The mystery of what's the mystery? 333 00:18:40,452 --> 00:18:43,188 The Greek word Mousterian, which literally means 334 00:18:43,188 --> 00:18:46,158 God's hidden plan until he reveals it. 335 00:18:46,158 --> 00:18:48,193 It's not something we go try to discover. 336 00:18:48,193 --> 00:18:51,463 It's like I'm going to blind your eyes until I'm ready for you to see it. 337 00:18:51,463 --> 00:18:53,499 And now's the time. Through the church. 338 00:18:53,499 --> 00:18:56,468 Here's what the Bible says in verse six of chapter three of Ephesians. 339 00:18:56,468 --> 00:19:02,508 The mystery is this, that the Gentiles, the pearls, are fellow heirs, 340 00:19:02,574 --> 00:19:06,011 treasures, members of the same body, 341 00:19:06,011 --> 00:19:09,615 and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 342 00:19:09,615 --> 00:19:11,116 That's the mystery. 343 00:19:11,116 --> 00:19:14,720 And it was, it was, it was it was not revealed until Jesus 344 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:18,423 said, listen, I got a mystery to tell you, to reveal to you. 345 00:19:18,590 --> 00:19:21,360 I'm including that which is unclean. 346 00:19:21,360 --> 00:19:25,898 I'm in recruiting that which has always been rejected in my kingdom, 347 00:19:25,898 --> 00:19:30,702 because I have chosen to value them and to treasure them. 348 00:19:30,702 --> 00:19:32,704 It's not just about you Jews now. 349 00:19:32,704 --> 00:19:38,143 It's about all of humanity that I am offering my blood to buy them back. 350 00:19:39,511 --> 00:19:41,313 That's the mystery. 351 00:19:41,313 --> 00:19:46,118 And when Jesus does that, all of the angels and all of the demons 352 00:19:46,151 --> 00:19:49,655 sit back in amazement and they go, what is going on? 353 00:19:50,989 --> 00:19:53,959 How can this be? 354 00:19:53,959 --> 00:19:57,763 This God who is so holy and so set apart 355 00:19:57,763 --> 00:20:02,534 and so righteous, is including dirty, nasty people? 356 00:20:02,601 --> 00:20:08,774 How his mercy and his grace are so profound 357 00:20:08,874 --> 00:20:13,145 that these people who cannot even clean themselves up, 358 00:20:13,145 --> 00:20:17,916 who cannot ever do what is right consistently, have been bought 359 00:20:17,916 --> 00:20:22,588 with the blood of Jesus and by his blood he's made them holy. 360 00:20:22,588 --> 00:20:24,890 Are you kidding me? 361 00:20:24,890 --> 00:20:28,360 That's what the angels and demons and Satan himself 362 00:20:28,360 --> 00:20:31,363 are discovering 363 00:20:31,496 --> 00:20:34,132 by us, 364 00:20:34,132 --> 00:20:36,835 by God's church. 365 00:20:36,835 --> 00:20:39,838 Did you know that? 366 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:45,010 That's what's at stake. 367 00:20:46,011 --> 00:20:47,946 And that's why I get so passionate 368 00:20:47,946 --> 00:20:51,717 and excited about God's Word and about his plan. 369 00:20:54,186 --> 00:20:57,189 Because what you and I do, 370 00:20:57,723 --> 00:21:00,692 who you and I are. 371 00:21:01,093 --> 00:21:04,096 What this church becomes, matters 372 00:21:05,497 --> 00:21:07,232 not just to our neighbors, 373 00:21:07,232 --> 00:21:10,669 not just to our family, though it does matter for them. 374 00:21:12,070 --> 00:21:16,675 But it matters because you and I, as the Church of God, are on display 375 00:21:16,675 --> 00:21:19,678 right now. 376 00:21:21,613 --> 00:21:24,816 To the very angels in heaven and demons in hell. 377 00:21:24,883 --> 00:21:28,954 And they sit back in amazement, going, what kind of God is this? 378 00:21:44,069 --> 00:21:46,872 And how you and I reflect 379 00:21:46,872 --> 00:21:49,875 the mercy and grace of God 380 00:21:49,908 --> 00:21:52,911 is God's testimony and revelation 381 00:21:53,178 --> 00:21:56,181 to even demons about his character. 382 00:21:57,015 --> 00:21:59,818 The way we forgive 383 00:21:59,818 --> 00:22:02,821 is testimony to even demons 384 00:22:03,255 --> 00:22:06,258 about the character of God. 385 00:22:06,625 --> 00:22:11,797 We are God's declaration and testimony, 386 00:22:12,431 --> 00:22:16,268 and they discovered every time they see us, and they see the church 387 00:22:16,301 --> 00:22:21,707 live out God's mysterious plan and the wisdom of his mercy and his grace. 388 00:22:24,776 --> 00:22:27,779 And so the question. 389 00:22:28,347 --> 00:22:30,115 What does your life reveal of 390 00:22:30,115 --> 00:22:33,118 the glory of God to the unseen world? 391 00:22:42,060 --> 00:22:42,828 What does your life 392 00:22:42,828 --> 00:22:47,265 right now reveal about the glory and the mystery 393 00:22:47,265 --> 00:22:50,869 and the mercy and grace of God to the unseen world? 394 00:22:51,603 --> 00:22:54,573 Because the fact is, you and I are being watched 395 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,843 not just by each other. 396 00:22:57,909 --> 00:23:00,612 Hebrews 12 one. 397 00:23:00,612 --> 00:23:03,148 Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 398 00:23:03,148 --> 00:23:04,883 let us run with endurance. 399 00:23:04,883 --> 00:23:08,120 Set aside every weight and send that cling so closely, 400 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:11,123 and let us run with endurance races set before us. 401 00:23:11,423 --> 00:23:14,226 Who's the cloud of witnesses? 402 00:23:14,226 --> 00:23:17,396 Certainly it is the people mentioned in chapter 11 right before. 403 00:23:17,429 --> 00:23:20,866 Certainly it is, but it's also the angels 404 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:25,437 and even the demons who are watching 405 00:23:26,538 --> 00:23:31,343 to seeing if our lives in our church prove and live out 406 00:23:32,344 --> 00:23:34,012 the incredible love and mercy 407 00:23:34,012 --> 00:23:37,716 and grace of Almighty God to save pearls 408 00:23:38,717 --> 00:23:41,720 like me. 409 00:23:42,921 --> 00:23:44,723 And it's worth stripping away 410 00:23:44,723 --> 00:23:48,160 everything that hold you back. 411 00:23:48,660 --> 00:23:51,463 So that we run with endurance 412 00:23:51,463 --> 00:23:54,466 and we don't quit, and we don't back off 413 00:23:55,901 --> 00:23:58,904 the race that God has given us. 414 00:24:03,141 --> 00:24:06,144 For the good parables, 415 00:24:06,978 --> 00:24:07,813 Look at this next one. 416 00:24:07,813 --> 00:24:09,347 Do I have the next one? 417 00:24:09,347 --> 00:24:11,016 No. Let me read it to you. 418 00:24:11,016 --> 00:24:12,451 I did something wrong with the slides 419 00:24:12,451 --> 00:24:14,386 and so they didn't get up and let me let me read it to you. 420 00:24:14,386 --> 00:24:17,389 Here's this next one. 421 00:24:17,556 --> 00:24:20,158 Matthew 13, starting in verse 47. 422 00:24:20,158 --> 00:24:23,395 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea 423 00:24:23,395 --> 00:24:24,830 and gathered fish of every kind. 424 00:24:24,830 --> 00:24:27,466 When it was full men druid ashore and sat down 425 00:24:27,466 --> 00:24:30,635 and sort of the good into containers, but threw away the bad. 426 00:24:30,635 --> 00:24:32,304 So it will be at the end of the age. 427 00:24:32,304 --> 00:24:35,373 The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, 428 00:24:35,373 --> 00:24:37,142 and throw them into the fiery furnace. 429 00:24:37,142 --> 00:24:39,611 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 430 00:24:39,611 --> 00:24:40,712 Oh my goodness! 431 00:24:44,816 --> 00:24:47,452 The sea and the parable of the world. 432 00:24:47,452 --> 00:24:49,621 There are so many passages of Scripture that talk about this sea 433 00:24:49,621 --> 00:24:52,557 being the nations, and I don't have time to to lay it all out for you. 434 00:24:52,557 --> 00:24:54,693 But you can you can research that yourself if you want to. 435 00:24:54,693 --> 00:24:56,194 But the sea represents the nations. 436 00:24:56,194 --> 00:25:00,432 The fish represents people of every kind, Jews and Gentiles, 437 00:25:00,532 --> 00:25:03,535 righteous and unrighteous. 438 00:25:04,069 --> 00:25:07,072 Which will be separated. 439 00:25:09,341 --> 00:25:12,310 Not all roads lead to heaven, 440 00:25:12,310 --> 00:25:14,479 and it doesn't matter how sincere your faith is, 441 00:25:14,479 --> 00:25:17,482 you can be very sincere and very sincerely wrong. 442 00:25:18,750 --> 00:25:21,820 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life and nobody. 443 00:25:21,820 --> 00:25:24,523 I don't care how sincere you are, can't care how good you are. 444 00:25:24,523 --> 00:25:26,424 Nobody comes the father except through me. 445 00:25:26,424 --> 00:25:28,260 I'm the gate, I'm the door. 446 00:25:29,628 --> 00:25:31,563 I'm the only one. 447 00:25:31,563 --> 00:25:36,401 The invitation is very expensive, but the inclusion is very small. 448 00:25:37,002 --> 00:25:39,971 Through Christ and Christ alone, 449 00:25:40,338 --> 00:25:42,107 nobody comes to father but through Jesus. 450 00:25:42,107 --> 00:25:45,410 And when that separation comes of the righteous 451 00:25:45,410 --> 00:25:48,613 in Christ and the unrighteous, there will be a separation. 452 00:25:48,613 --> 00:25:51,950 And when that separation comes, those who are unrighteous, 453 00:25:52,584 --> 00:25:55,921 who have not repented of sin, who have, who, who have not renounced, 454 00:25:55,921 --> 00:25:58,890 and who have not trusted Jesus for their salvation, 455 00:25:59,624 --> 00:26:03,828 are thrown in the fiery furnace for destruction, hell. 456 00:26:04,696 --> 00:26:07,699 And Jesus says, when that time comes, 457 00:26:08,099 --> 00:26:11,102 there'll be two responses of people 458 00:26:11,102 --> 00:26:13,572 who are thrown in the fire furnace, 459 00:26:13,572 --> 00:26:16,107 weeping and gnashing of teeth. 460 00:26:16,107 --> 00:26:20,178 And the best way I've understood this is is from R.C. 461 00:26:20,178 --> 00:26:21,980 Sproul. He's in heaven now. 462 00:26:21,980 --> 00:26:23,748 But he says this. 463 00:26:23,748 --> 00:26:28,186 There will be those who are stand at the gates of hell with weeping, 464 00:26:28,553 --> 00:26:32,591 who realize fondly in that moment with great sorrow and remorse, 465 00:26:33,191 --> 00:26:35,694 all that they have sacrificed, 466 00:26:35,694 --> 00:26:39,998 all that they have lost by rejecting Jesus as lordship. 467 00:26:39,998 --> 00:26:44,636 And they will weep with great tears and great remorse, and it will be too late. 468 00:26:45,870 --> 00:26:46,438 The other 469 00:26:46,438 --> 00:26:49,441 action that some will have is gnashing of teeth, 470 00:26:49,507 --> 00:26:51,776 that even as they stand before the gates of hell, 471 00:26:51,776 --> 00:26:54,779 they will be so vehemently angry at God, they'll say. 472 00:26:54,779 --> 00:26:56,581 How dare you? 473 00:26:56,581 --> 00:26:59,584 How dare you? 474 00:27:03,154 --> 00:27:04,522 So hateful towards 475 00:27:04,522 --> 00:27:09,461 the Messiah that even as they look at the furnaces of hell, they will 476 00:27:10,462 --> 00:27:13,064 writhe in anger? 477 00:27:13,064 --> 00:27:16,067 Can you imagine? 478 00:27:20,071 --> 00:27:22,440 Matthew 13 is about the vastness of the kingdom 479 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:25,410 of heaven, the mystery of God now revealed through the church. 480 00:27:25,710 --> 00:27:28,780 And so Jesus, those are the seven parables. 481 00:27:28,780 --> 00:27:32,117 And he says to his disciples, he says, listen, verse 51. 482 00:27:32,150 --> 00:27:33,985 Have you understood all these things? 483 00:27:33,985 --> 00:27:36,621 It's like when I say, do you understand 484 00:27:36,621 --> 00:27:39,758 what's what's our kneejerk reaction when I say, do you understand? 485 00:27:40,058 --> 00:27:42,794 Yeah, right. 486 00:27:42,794 --> 00:27:44,462 Be like, oh yeah, I get it. Sure. 487 00:27:44,462 --> 00:27:46,798 It's exactly what they say. So do you understand all of this? 488 00:27:46,798 --> 00:27:47,932 Like. Yeah. 489 00:27:47,932 --> 00:27:49,601 He's like. Okay. 490 00:27:49,601 --> 00:27:51,136 You say you understand it. 491 00:27:53,471 --> 00:27:56,574 Therefore, every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven 492 00:27:56,574 --> 00:27:59,577 is like a master of a house who brings out his treasure. 493 00:28:00,412 --> 00:28:02,213 Out of his treasure? What is old? 494 00:28:02,213 --> 00:28:03,081 What is new, his old. 495 00:28:03,081 --> 00:28:05,650 He's saying, listen, that's fine if you say you understand it, here's the deal. 496 00:28:05,650 --> 00:28:08,053 Now you own it. 497 00:28:08,053 --> 00:28:09,554 You're the master of your house. 498 00:28:09,554 --> 00:28:12,157 It has been deposited into your store room. 499 00:28:12,157 --> 00:28:15,060 Now you own it. Now you've got to bring it out. 500 00:28:15,060 --> 00:28:17,762 All the old stuff you learned at VBS, 501 00:28:17,762 --> 00:28:20,331 all the old stuff you learned in the Bible, stories from your kid, 502 00:28:20,331 --> 00:28:23,401 all that little stuff, all stuff, you know, and then all this stuff. 503 00:28:23,401 --> 00:28:26,104 You're just now the old stuff of the new stuff. 504 00:28:26,104 --> 00:28:27,906 You've received it freely. You better give it. 505 00:28:27,906 --> 00:28:31,042 Don't just hold it inside and get fat and happy and content 506 00:28:31,076 --> 00:28:32,510 thinking that you're walking with Jesus, right? 507 00:28:32,510 --> 00:28:36,114 Because you know something now you own it, now you give it. 508 00:28:36,347 --> 00:28:37,315 Do you understand? 509 00:28:38,783 --> 00:28:40,385 Now you're afraid to say, yeah. 510 00:28:40,385 --> 00:28:43,388 I don't know, I don't know. 511 00:28:43,555 --> 00:28:46,024 And then he he wraps it up like this. 512 00:28:46,024 --> 00:28:48,359 And this is the hardest passage for a preacher. Preach. 513 00:28:48,359 --> 00:28:50,962 I preach this a couple of weeks ago, and my buddy's church. 514 00:28:50,962 --> 00:28:53,598 I can preach it at someone else's church. 515 00:28:53,598 --> 00:28:54,866 It's hard to preach at your own church. 516 00:28:54,866 --> 00:28:57,202 And if you've read Matthew 13, you know exactly where I'm going. 517 00:28:57,202 --> 00:29:00,472 If you haven't read Matthew 13, then you should have, like I told you 518 00:29:00,472 --> 00:29:03,475 two last week, but I'll read it for you now here's what it says. 519 00:29:04,676 --> 00:29:07,712 And when Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there, 520 00:29:07,712 --> 00:29:11,182 and coming to his hometown, he taught them in their synagogue. 521 00:29:11,182 --> 00:29:13,351 So he was like in Fresno, when he comes back to the ranchos, 522 00:29:13,351 --> 00:29:15,787 you know how that goes. He's come back home. 523 00:29:18,223 --> 00:29:19,290 So that they were astonished. 524 00:29:19,290 --> 00:29:22,460 And they said, where did this man get this wisdom in these mighty words? 525 00:29:22,627 --> 00:29:24,696 Isn't he the carpenter son? 526 00:29:24,696 --> 00:29:28,299 Isn't his mom called Mary under his brothers James and Joseph 527 00:29:28,299 --> 00:29:32,003 and Simon and Judas, and I don't know all his sisters with us. 528 00:29:32,771 --> 00:29:36,074 Where the end of this man get all the way to come up with this stuff? 529 00:29:36,674 --> 00:29:37,976 And they took offense at him. 530 00:29:37,976 --> 00:29:40,111 But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor, 531 00:29:40,111 --> 00:29:43,114 accepting his hometown in his own household. 532 00:29:43,214 --> 00:29:46,217 And he didn't do many mighty works there because of their belief. 533 00:29:51,322 --> 00:29:54,292 When something becomes common, 534 00:29:54,425 --> 00:29:57,428 when someone becomes common, they're not seen as special. 535 00:29:57,428 --> 00:30:01,399 If they're not seen as special, there's nothing unique. 536 00:30:01,933 --> 00:30:04,936 Even Jesus. 537 00:30:04,936 --> 00:30:09,140 And instead of receiving his word, they reduced his role. 538 00:30:11,042 --> 00:30:13,211 Let me say that again. 539 00:30:13,211 --> 00:30:16,514 Instead of receiving his word, they reduced his role. 540 00:30:16,548 --> 00:30:17,315 Who is this. 541 00:30:17,315 --> 00:30:18,349 Think he is? 542 00:30:18,349 --> 00:30:21,352 We know him. 543 00:30:22,353 --> 00:30:25,356 Familiarity meant normalcy, 544 00:30:26,224 --> 00:30:29,227 and so he must not be special. 545 00:30:31,696 --> 00:30:33,298 I coach pastors a lot. 546 00:30:33,298 --> 00:30:34,632 And what I tell you, I'm pastors. 547 00:30:34,632 --> 00:30:36,935 Is this your most effective? 548 00:30:36,935 --> 00:30:40,138 Years in ministry in one place will come after you're there. 549 00:30:40,138 --> 00:30:41,639 Seven years. 550 00:30:41,639 --> 00:30:44,242 So you got to stay past seven years to really get effective. 551 00:30:44,242 --> 00:30:45,343 The problem is, most people don't. 552 00:30:45,343 --> 00:30:48,780 Most pastors don't, so they never reach effectiveness, honestly. 553 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:50,915 But it'll be after your seven. 554 00:30:50,915 --> 00:30:51,883 But here's what I tell them. 555 00:30:51,883 --> 00:30:55,720 If you're going to stand a church in one church that long, over seven years, 556 00:30:56,421 --> 00:30:59,424 this verse right here is going to become your experience 557 00:31:00,792 --> 00:31:04,596 because you're just going to become normal and common. 558 00:31:07,332 --> 00:31:08,266 You take that same 559 00:31:08,266 --> 00:31:12,103 teacher and that same voice that's not honored in one setting, 560 00:31:12,103 --> 00:31:16,074 put them in a different setting, and they are honored. 561 00:31:16,541 --> 00:31:19,510 Has nothing to do with the voice, has nothing to do with the message. 562 00:31:21,412 --> 00:31:24,415 That's what Jesus is saying. 563 00:31:25,183 --> 00:31:26,651 Familiarity breeds contempt. 564 00:31:26,651 --> 00:31:29,654 That's the old saying. 565 00:31:30,021 --> 00:31:31,656 And what Jesus is getting to 566 00:31:31,656 --> 00:31:34,659 is that low expectation limits reception. 567 00:31:35,994 --> 00:31:37,595 Low expectation limits. 568 00:31:37,595 --> 00:31:40,598 Reception. 569 00:31:41,399 --> 00:31:42,233 You know what that's like? 570 00:31:42,233 --> 00:31:43,668 Sunday just becomes common. Normal. 571 00:31:43,668 --> 00:31:44,302 Like whatever. 572 00:31:44,302 --> 00:31:45,103 It's the ball guy. 573 00:31:45,103 --> 00:31:48,106 It's. 574 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,843 The expectation is low. 575 00:31:51,843 --> 00:31:54,312 Then so is the reception, 576 00:31:54,312 --> 00:31:57,315 which means there's no result. 577 00:31:58,216 --> 00:31:59,717 And I understand what Jesus is. 578 00:31:59,717 --> 00:32:02,720 And he's saying those who are closest to the pastor struggle to honor him 579 00:32:03,354 --> 00:32:06,157 because they see him in ordinary settings all the time. 580 00:32:08,459 --> 00:32:11,796 And honestly, friends, the Ranchos is unique. 581 00:32:12,230 --> 00:32:15,099 It's really unique because we can't get away 582 00:32:15,099 --> 00:32:18,102 from each other out here 583 00:32:18,202 --> 00:32:20,471 and we really can't. 584 00:32:20,471 --> 00:32:22,640 And you see the pastor 585 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,610 up close and personal. 586 00:32:26,511 --> 00:32:29,514 And you see him on the sidelines. 587 00:32:30,915 --> 00:32:33,918 And you see him drive too fast 588 00:32:34,152 --> 00:32:37,555 and you see him not wave at you, though you don't realize the sun's in his eyes 589 00:32:37,555 --> 00:32:38,856 and he doesn't know who you are, so he. 590 00:32:38,856 --> 00:32:41,859 Doesn't wave. 591 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,730 And you see him raise his kids. 592 00:32:58,910 --> 00:33:01,179 To be 593 00:33:01,179 --> 00:33:04,115 and be a lot safer 594 00:33:04,115 --> 00:33:07,418 for me as your pastor and for your staff at this church 595 00:33:08,353 --> 00:33:11,356 to keep our distance from you 596 00:33:11,422 --> 00:33:14,425 and to not let you get close. 597 00:33:14,826 --> 00:33:16,995 Because the closer you get to me, the closer 598 00:33:16,995 --> 00:33:18,563 you get to us, the more familiar we become, 599 00:33:18,563 --> 00:33:20,732 and the more familiar you become, the less honor. 600 00:33:20,732 --> 00:33:21,866 Oftentimes. 601 00:33:23,101 --> 00:33:26,104 But that's not the example of Jesus. 602 00:33:26,637 --> 00:33:29,640 And so you get an up close and personal look, 603 00:33:30,274 --> 00:33:33,578 all the flaws, all the failures, 604 00:33:35,313 --> 00:33:37,548 all the cracks. 605 00:33:37,548 --> 00:33:39,817 But you also get to see up close and personal 606 00:33:39,817 --> 00:33:42,820 the grace that God has given a failure like me, 607 00:33:43,721 --> 00:33:46,691 to keep me in the game. 608 00:33:49,427 --> 00:33:52,063 But it's tempting for the church to take it all for granted. 609 00:33:52,063 --> 00:33:54,399 Now, let me be clear. No pastors like Jesus. 610 00:33:54,399 --> 00:33:55,833 That's not the correlation I'm making. 611 00:33:55,833 --> 00:33:58,236 Please understand that 612 00:33:58,236 --> 00:33:59,937 it's not the same. 613 00:33:59,937 --> 00:34:02,673 But for the context 614 00:34:02,673 --> 00:34:04,909 and for the application, 615 00:34:04,909 --> 00:34:07,345 honor is less in our context about 616 00:34:07,345 --> 00:34:11,215 worshiping the messenger and rightly than it is rightly receiving the message. 617 00:34:11,215 --> 00:34:14,585 That's what honors about rightly receiving the message. 618 00:34:15,787 --> 00:34:19,657 And the message throughout all these parables is John 316 For God 619 00:34:19,657 --> 00:34:22,693 so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him 620 00:34:22,693 --> 00:34:25,396 would not perish but have everlasting life. He saw a treasure, 621 00:34:26,330 --> 00:34:27,732 and it wasn't a treasure 622 00:34:27,732 --> 00:34:31,702 until after he gave his blood for it, and it became treasured. 623 00:34:33,671 --> 00:34:37,775 And if you give your life and sacrifice your life to the God who loved 624 00:34:37,775 --> 00:34:41,746 you and sacrificed his life for you, you will be saved. 625 00:34:47,318 --> 00:34:49,020 The question is, are you in a position 626 00:34:49,020 --> 00:34:52,023 to receive the message? 627 00:34:52,957 --> 00:34:55,960 I understand if you overlook the messenger, that's okay. 628 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:59,230 My prayer before I teach and preach every time is God. 629 00:34:59,263 --> 00:35:01,632 May they forget about me and only remember you. 630 00:35:01,632 --> 00:35:03,067 Jesus, I get it. 631 00:35:03,067 --> 00:35:06,637 Forget the messenger, but do not overlook the message. 632 00:35:10,108 --> 00:35:12,477 That God chose to value you, 633 00:35:12,477 --> 00:35:15,480 though you have nothing to offer him. 634 00:35:16,180 --> 00:35:19,183 You and I had nothing to the experience of God. 635 00:35:20,151 --> 00:35:23,421 His eternity is not better because he has me. 636 00:35:24,555 --> 00:35:28,092 His eternity is not better because you have trusted him with your faith. 637 00:35:28,159 --> 00:35:30,995 Your eternity is better, not his. 638 00:35:30,995 --> 00:35:33,998 We have nothing to offer him. 639 00:35:34,098 --> 00:35:37,301 There's a song we sing sometimes that really gets me at times. 640 00:35:37,902 --> 00:35:39,904 Says Jesus didn't want heaven without us. 641 00:35:39,904 --> 00:35:41,906 Who? He brought heaven down. That's just not true. 642 00:35:41,906 --> 00:35:44,909 He's fine in heaven without me. 643 00:35:46,310 --> 00:35:49,313 But he chose to love me. 644 00:35:50,781 --> 00:35:53,751 And the price he played paid his his blood. 645 00:35:53,751 --> 00:35:55,987 Now you can reject him. 646 00:35:55,987 --> 00:35:58,422 That's on you. 647 00:35:58,422 --> 00:36:01,259 And you'll be separated eternally. 648 00:36:01,259 --> 00:36:04,262 Some of you with weeping, some of you with gnashing of teeth. 649 00:36:05,062 --> 00:36:07,999 And it will be too late. 650 00:36:07,999 --> 00:36:10,201 Or you can confess your sin, 651 00:36:10,201 --> 00:36:13,171 repent of it, renounce it, 652 00:36:13,738 --> 00:36:18,442 turn around and be saved, and invest the rest of your life. 653 00:36:20,912 --> 00:36:23,748 Pledging your allegiance to this kingdom 654 00:36:23,748 --> 00:36:26,784 that is on display for even demons to marvel 655 00:36:26,784 --> 00:36:29,787 at God. 656 00:36:36,260 --> 00:36:38,963 And by God's grace here. 657 00:36:38,963 --> 00:36:42,433 Well done, my good and faithful servant. 658 00:36:45,236 --> 00:36:48,239 Consider. 659 00:36:49,507 --> 00:36:52,310 If in this next 30s you had to face God 660 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:55,313 face to face right now, would you hear those words? 661 00:36:56,347 --> 00:36:59,383 There's no more time to make up for anything you got 30s. 662 00:36:59,383 --> 00:37:00,451 Would you hear those words? 663 00:37:00,451 --> 00:37:03,454 Well done by good and faithful servant. 664 00:37:09,827 --> 00:37:11,696 By faith and repentance of sin. 665 00:37:11,696 --> 00:37:14,699 Make it so. 666 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,603 By faith and repentance, and make it so. 667 00:37:19,170 --> 00:37:22,173 I want you to pray with me. 668 00:37:26,177 --> 00:37:26,544 Father, 669 00:37:26,544 --> 00:37:29,547 thank you that you have loved us with an everlasting love, 670 00:37:29,780 --> 00:37:32,783 that there's nothing we could do or not do 671 00:37:32,984 --> 00:37:35,987 that would change your love for us. 672 00:37:37,822 --> 00:37:38,522 I pray 673 00:37:38,522 --> 00:37:41,592 that none of us squander the knowledge of that. 674 00:37:45,162 --> 00:37:45,796 Thank you. 675 00:37:45,796 --> 00:37:49,000 You saw an old dirty field. 676 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:52,536 That you saw 677 00:37:52,536 --> 00:37:55,339 an old nasty. See 678 00:37:55,339 --> 00:37:58,342 that which you chose to treasure. 679 00:37:59,510 --> 00:38:01,178 And redeemed by the blood of your son. 680 00:38:01,178 --> 00:38:04,181 Thank you. 681 00:38:05,683 --> 00:38:06,017 Father. 682 00:38:06,017 --> 00:38:09,787 I pray by the Holy Spirit that there's anybody here who is not confessed 683 00:38:09,787 --> 00:38:12,790 their sin to you. 684 00:38:13,257 --> 00:38:17,395 Receive forgiveness from you, repenting of their sin in this moment, 685 00:38:17,395 --> 00:38:20,398 father, that that would happen, that they would choose that right now. 686 00:38:23,301 --> 00:38:26,537 That they would avoid those two options of weeping or gnashing of teeth. 687 00:38:26,537 --> 00:38:29,540 Oh, God. 688 00:38:31,108 --> 00:38:34,111 That you would revive hearts that have grown cold, 689 00:38:34,512 --> 00:38:37,515 softened hearts that have gotten hard, 690 00:38:37,982 --> 00:38:40,017 bring new life to those that have grown 691 00:38:40,017 --> 00:38:43,020 numb. 692 00:38:44,555 --> 00:38:46,357 Friends, I'd invite you in this moment. 693 00:38:46,357 --> 00:38:48,659 Something along these lines to say in your own words. 694 00:38:48,659 --> 00:38:50,461 God forgive me. 695 00:38:53,664 --> 00:38:56,667 I confess my sin to you. 696 00:38:58,803 --> 00:39:01,939 I accept what Jesus did on the cross 697 00:39:02,940 --> 00:39:05,943 so that I can be forgiven, 698 00:39:07,144 --> 00:39:11,882 and I reject, and I renounce my sin, 699 00:39:12,650 --> 00:39:15,653 and I repent. 700 00:39:17,421 --> 00:39:19,156 I choose to walk 701 00:39:19,156 --> 00:39:22,460 a different path from here on. 702 00:39:24,161 --> 00:39:27,131 Have mercy on me. 703 00:39:27,264 --> 00:39:30,267 Give me all that your grace allows. 704 00:39:32,236 --> 00:39:36,741 And I accept my role of being on display 705 00:39:38,242 --> 00:39:41,212 to not just my neighbors, 706 00:39:41,212 --> 00:39:45,149 but even the very angels and demons 707 00:39:46,584 --> 00:39:49,587 of your mercy and your grace. 708 00:39:52,223 --> 00:39:53,057 Father, this is. 709 00:39:53,057 --> 00:39:56,060 This is heavy stuff. 710 00:39:56,894 --> 00:39:59,897 This is real stuff. 711 00:40:00,064 --> 00:40:02,266 And I pray that you would allow us, by your spirit, 712 00:40:02,266 --> 00:40:05,403 to walk in a manner worthy 713 00:40:07,037 --> 00:40:10,040 of your calling and the name of Jesus. 714 00:40:11,075 --> 00:40:11,942 In your name I pray. 715 00:40:11,942 --> 00:40:14,945 Amen. 716 00:40:14,945 --> 00:40:17,948 You're okay. 717 00:40:18,416 --> 00:40:21,419 Parables are good, 718 00:40:21,852 --> 00:40:23,421 I love you, I'm proud of you. 719 00:40:23,421 --> 00:40:25,723 That was. That was a deep one to stay through. 720 00:40:27,057 --> 00:40:28,759 Now, listen, I want you this. 721 00:40:28,759 --> 00:40:29,827 I want you to go back, and I read. 722 00:40:29,827 --> 00:40:34,432 I want you to read chapter 13 again, prayerfully, with some new eyes. 723 00:40:35,032 --> 00:40:36,634 Let it live inside you. 724 00:40:36,634 --> 00:40:38,469 And there is chapter 14. 725 00:40:38,469 --> 00:40:41,472 In chapter 14, we get to some of the fun stories 726 00:40:41,839 --> 00:40:46,310 that that maybe you've heard before Jesus and miracles and stuff. 727 00:40:46,977 --> 00:40:48,546 It's just it's just awesome. 728 00:40:48,546 --> 00:40:50,014 So read those two chapters this week. 729 00:40:50,014 --> 00:40:53,517 Will you, will you, will you? Yeah. 730 00:40:53,551 --> 00:40:55,152 All right. I love you. Let's sing.